Embrace
by ExDreamer
Summary: The Destiny War is over and now all is well in the world. Hokuto has been reborn as her old self and is now living with Kakyou. One day they decide to go out roaming the streets of Tokyo, while Kakyou slowly discovers a new love for his "friend" Hokuto.


Embrace

[Notes: X and Tokyo Babylon aren't mine, nor are the characters.  Don't read this fanfic if you don't think you're going to like it, but if you do, please review once you're done.  I would appreciate it.  Also, remember that this is an Alternate Universe fanfic and has a little bit of Kakyou/Hokuto romance in it.  Enjoy!]

"Kakyou! Kakyou! Wait for me!"

The cheerful girl bounced onto her dear friend's back and giggled playfully.

"Ho… Hokuto!" Kakyou struggled to say, "Get off… my back!"

"Eek! Sorry!" Hokuto exclaimed, releasing her grip, "I'm just so excited that we can finally be together!"

Kakyou smiled, receiving her wink. He was glad that everything was finally over with. No more bloody wars, ruthless battles, or sinister hate existed. The world had been purified and saved from destruction. Kakyou couldn't believe that he was now living with the most special person he had ever met. Who would have guessed that one-day both of them would be able to live together in such a peaceful world?

"Shall we go then?" Kakyou asked, gripping Hokuto's soft hand firmly.

"Of course!"

The two wandered into Tokyo's beautiful streets. They were all densely populated with so many healthy, active people. It was definitely something Kakyou wasn't used to. He hoped sometime in the future he wouldn't be as uncomfortable in such places. None the less, it was great to see that everyone had gotten over all of the destroyed parts of Tokyo. Somehow they had been translated to Tokyo's citizens as "terrorist bombings". 

"Hokuto… Tokyo is very… populated!"

"Yeah! Isn't it wonderful? I love being around other people!"

Kakyou chuckled, "And why is that?"

"Well… because it helps me appreciate a good portion of life! Think, if all these people weren't here, Tokyo would be just a dull, lifeless city!" she exclaimed, shifting her arms around Kakyou's side, "You just have to learn how to enjoy life more! Peace has been attained so let's make the most of it!"

"I guess you're right," Kakyou stated, laying one of his arms over Hokuto's shoulder and accepting her hug, "So where should we go?"

"Hehehe! I know the perfect place!! Follow me!"

With these words, Hokuto pulled Kakyou's hand and began to run aimlessly douching the numerous people around her. Half of them cursed angrily for bumping into them. But she didn't care! All she could think about was dragging Kakyou into a store she hadn't been in for many years. In a way, Kakyou envied Hokuto's eternal optimistic attitude towards everything. He guessed that he should try to be the same way, now that he had everything he could ever ask for.

"Hokuto, slow down please!"

"We're almost there! Just a little bit longer!"

In a short moment's time they both wound up in front of a store with a flashy sign reading "TOKYO SUPER CLOTHES!" Apparently, it was some odd place that sold Hokuto's style of clothing.

"We're here!" the black haired Sumeragi squealed, "Let's go inside, Kakyou~!"

Aromas of sassy-smelled perfume scents greeted the two as they entered. Kakyou immediately noticed the vivid fashion of the store. It was his first time experiencing the "joys" of such a girly place. Hokuto, on the other hand, fit very well in.

"Ooo! This outfit is really cute~!"

Kakyou smirked at her noisy behavior. It was just like her to do such thing.

"Kakyou-Kakyou! How would I look in this??" she asked enthusiastically, holding the hot pink outfit to her slim body.

"It… would look good on you… I'm sure."

"Really?!" Hokuto questioned, running over to Kakyou and giving him a squeezing hug, "Let's go try it on!!"

"Eh…!?"

Hokuto pulled Kakyou into the women's dressing room and locked them in a stall furthest from the entrance.

"Hokuto! What… are you doing…?"

"Eeek! How'd you get in here?! I'm going to try this on! Wait outside 'till I'm down!"

"Well… you did drag me in here…" he muttered, opening the stall's door and leaving the dressing room discretely.

"See you soon! Hehehe!!"

Outside of the dressing room, Kakyou leaned against a wall, smiled briefly, and listened to the muffled squeals and giggling coming from inside. "Hokuto… what a girl…" Kakyou thought, sighing peacefully. 

"Kakyou! Kakyou!" came a familiar high-pitched tone of voice. "How is it?? How is it??"

He stared in aw at what he was seeing. Wearing the outfit she had selected, a keen pair of heart-shaped sunglasses on her forehead, sparkly pink high-heels on her delicate feet, and a pretty beaded silver necklace, she pointed to herself proudly.

"It looks… great…" came his reply, not taking his eyes off of her.

Hokuto looked at him with a small frown and a cute "puppy-dog" expression on her face, "You don't seem like you mean it…"

"I… I do mean it! …Hokuto."

"Are you sure…?"

"Of course, of course! You look… well… beautiful…"

"Aww!" jumping into his frail arms, "Thank you so much~!"

"Shall we get it then…?" Kakyou asked, rubbing his dear friend's back slowly.

"…Hokuto?"

But her cheerful expression quickly died out and she turned away. "I don't think I've got the money for it…"

"Not a problem!" Kakyou replied, flashing his navy blue wallet in the air.

"Kakyou," she started, "You can't be serious!"

"But I am. Let's go purchase it right now…. How about it?"

Hokuto's eyes almost began to tear at his kindness. "You're too sweet!!~"

"..Gak!"

The two happily exited the store, chatting casually as if they had been friends for many years. Kakyou couldn't believe that they were really here, not in any sort of fictional dream. He could only wonder… how long it would last.

"This is sooooo much fun!" Hokuto announced, taking a big slurp of her ice cream soda and glancing over at her large shopping bags.

Kakyou had spent several hundred dollars [already] for Hokuto during the course of the day. Luckily, though, he was having the best time of his life and it didn't matter how much money he would have to dish out for _her_.

"I am too… I've never been this happy really…" 

"I wanna do more! Hey, I have an idea! Let's go to the amusement park down the street!" she nearly screamed, pointing out the window and standing up from her chair. "C'mon, c'mon! I promise to pay you back for all the money you've spent on me!"

Kakyou didn't say anything for a moment, but then he sighed and added a joyful smile to his face. "Very well, we shall go," he took a pause, "But… I've never been to one before."

"Yahoo!! We can go!! Oh, Kakyou, don't worry about it! They're so much fun that you'll want to stay forever!!"

"Is that so?" he asked pleasantly, finishing the last bit of his drink. "But first, let's head back to our apartment and drop of your shopping bags."

She agreed.

Stretching and yawning noisily, Hokuto entered their apartment and dropped her bags by the door. Both of them had only been out for a couple hours, yet she was slightly exhausted. She darted for her room to put on a fresh new layer of make-up and use the restroom quickly, leaving Kakyou alone for a little while.

Kakyou had had a really good time so far and he had a feeling that it would begin to get even better. For the longest time, Hokuto had been incredibly important to him, but he never knew what kind of love he felt for her. Was it just true friendship? Puppy love? Or maybe, just maybe, romantic love? He was utterly confused about "love" and as much as he tried to _not_ think about it, the more he did. What would happen in the future between them…?

Reality was starting to fade away once again.

"Iiiiiiiiiiiiieeeee!!!!!!" Hokuto screamed as both of them neared the top of the first hill of the "Tokyo Extreme Coaster". "Kakyou, Kakyou, Kakyou!!"

The clinking of the slow roller coaster's uphill drifting movement sent sudden sensations up Kakyou's tingling spine.  It was his first time on such a thing, but he was enjoying it as much as he could.  (Or at least was trying to.)  Plus he had Hokuto's warm body wrapped around his own.  She felt so wonderfully graceful and made him feel relaxed from the slightly nervous feeling within him.   

Suddenly their roller coaster car tipped over the large steep and began rushing furiously.  Faster and faster it ran and before long, Kakyou found himself screaming along with Hokuto, on the adventurous coaster.

The ride lasted shorter than they thought it would.  They would've gone on it again if the line hadn't been so long when they got off.  So instead of waiting, both of them decided to go roam around until then found something interesting to do.  Hokuto was on her third cotton candy by now and each time she took a piece of the fluffy, sugary substance, she would giggle to herself and savor each bite.  She was fun to look at when she acted silly.

"Say Kakyou, what's the matter?" Hokuto asked, peering into his face and looking slightly worried.

"Kakyou forced a fake smile, "Nothing…really…"

Finishing the last bit of her food, "Ya sure?"

"Positive…"

"Then…" Hokuto reached for her friend's pail hand. "How about we take a ride on the Ferris Wheel?"

"Sure," he cupped his hands around hers. "I'd love to."

It was around mid-evening and the sky was just now darkening into its nightly mysteries.  The Ferris Wheel line was shorter than most of the other ride's lines.  Both of them noticed that most of the people around them appeared to be lovers.  Each couple was either kissing or touching each other's faces in one way or another.  How Kakyou secretly wished Hokuto and he were doing the same thing.   

Kakyou felt nervous as he boarded with Hokuto onto the ride when it was their turn.  He gripped Hokuto's hand firmly and almost squeezed it.

"Don't worry Kakyou, it's just a little ride!"

Stepping onto the ride, "I guess we're all set to go then!" a worker closer their door and adjusted something in the back of the car, giving it a pat when he was finished.  "Ok, let's go!!"

Slowly, the Ferris Wheel began to inch off the ground.  Hokuto seemed to be already enjoying the ride, even though they weren't even three feet off the ground.  Kakyou envied her optimism towards everything.

"I can't wait until we get up high!  We'll get to see the whole park Kakyou!"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Oh c'mon, lighten up!" she gave him a wink.

Before long, the sky was getting closer and closer to them. "Kakyou, look over there!" Hokuto said, pointing to a building in the distance. "You can see Tokyo Tower from here!"

But Kakyou didn't say anything, nor even look at what she had been pointing at.  All he could think about was a bizarre feeling brewing inside of him that seemed to be running through his blood.  It was warm, yet painful and uncertain.  What was it?

Curling a simple strand of his hair, "Kakyou, please tell me why you're not enjoying this."

"Hokuto… I'm having trouble with my emotions…"

"How so?"

"It's just…" 

"Just what?"

"Hokuto… I'm not used to this…"

"Used to your emotions you mean? …or…"

"Well…. Sort of…"

"What do you mean _sort of_??  Just tell me what's goin' on!" she placed a hand on Kakyou's lap and looked in his eyes.  Why was it so hard communicating with him?  She peered out at the amusement park below, taking her eyes off of Kakyou.  They were nearly at the top by now. "Kakyou… have you ever been in love?" she asked, staring off into the beautiful evening sky.

"I… I don't know… really…" he paused. "What about you?  Have you ever… loved anyone?"

Hokuto remained staring into the sky, but faintly spoke, "…once."

"Oh… I see…"

"He is a mysterious fellow… never really talks to me much," she sighed. "I like him a lot though, just for being who he is… I'm really not sure why I do though…"

"So… you still love him…?"

Hokuto nodded.

"What… is his name?" Kakyou asked, pretending not to feel bits of jealousy run through him.

"Well… to tell you the truth… it's you, Kakyou…"

The Ferris Wheel stopped.  Now they were at the very top of the ride.  

"Hokuto… do you… really…" Kakyou whispered, wet tears forming in his eyes as he spoke.

"Yes I do." Came Hokuto's voice casually, forcing one of her typical smiles, but still not looking at the man beside her.

Kakyou was shocked.  So many thoughts came rushing to his head that he almost screamed.  Was this real?  …Or just another one of those useless dreams?  He turned towards his friend, who at any time could become his lover, if he so desired.  With much caution, Hokuto turned to face him and their eyes engaged.

Tension began to grow as they sat in silence.  But Hokuto broke the silence, "Kakyou… please… will you…" she hesitated and swallowed. "Kiss me?"

It was very out of character for her to say something like this, but he knew that Hokuto meant what she had asked for.  The warm arms that Kakyou had kept desolate for the whole ride wrapped around the female Sumeragi's waist.  Drawing her near, he took a breath, then connected his lips to her's – keeping them there.

So on that very day, on top of that very Ferris Wheel, the two discovered that they were truly meant to be.

Inside each other's embrace.

~

[Author's Note:  Not one of my better fanfics, but that's ok… ^^;;  I wanted to try doing a Hokuto/Kakyou romance and see how it would turn out.  So, overall, I hope it wasn't too bad and that some of you people out there liked it.]


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